James Herriot is good. All Creatures Great and Small is really, really wonderful. I laughed so much. So whoever suggested that did a really good job.

Now, I’m not sure about your taste in genres or anything, but if you’re not opposed to the slightly fantastical (which I assume you aren’t, HP fren) then I highly recommend Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell which is a period account of the last remaining magicians (and they’re really wizards) in England. It’s really charming and combines the best parts of Austen, Bronte, etc. with the best parts of modern fantasy and historical fiction (a la The Historian). Really, it is one of my favorites. But it is really long.

Also, something tragic and humorous and wonderful is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which is a quick read and really one of the most charming books I’ve ever read.

And I will always recommend Salinger. I don’t care how much of a hipster cliche it makes me to love him.